Racing: 70kg makes for anxious wait

Amanood Lad will be tested at Ellerslie today. Photo / Thinkstock

Trainer Ben Foote is less worried about the eight months since Amanood Lad last raced as he is about the 70kg topweight in today's $50,000 Rheem McGregor Grant Steeplechase at Ellerslie.

This will be a tough ask for last year's Great Northern Steeplechase winner, although Foote believes he has the fitness in Amanood Lad.

"But you always have to be worried about 70kg," says the Cambridge trainer.

Amanood Lad will be ridden by Australia's most talented jumps jockey, Steve Pateman, replacing Great Northern winning rider Craig Thornton, who has retired.

Foote makes no secret that the Great Northern is once again his main target with his top jumper and is delighted Pateman will get a good understanding of the horse today.

Despite Foote's belief that Amanood Lad is "quite forward" for his first raceday start since the Great Northern, current racing and a weight advantage will make Carinya a tough opponent this afternoon.

The highly talented mare receives 4.5kg from Amanood Lad and her races at the Te Rapa carnival make her a fit horse. Trainer Dan O'Leary has been waiting for the mare to have her first try of the big live Ellerslie steeplechase fences, which he believes will suit the mare better than anything she has tried previously.

Carinya won easily on the first day at Te Rapa then in the Waikato Steeplechase ran into Sea King who, despite his relative inexperience over the bigger fences, just might be the best in the business. This sets up a great contest today.

Sea King is reverting to the lower fences for the $50,000 Faceup-Low Fees In Real Estate KS Browne Hurdles. It will be no easy task under 70kg clear topweight, but he will give it a good shake.

Making sure he will be kept up to his work will be last year's Great Northern Hurdles winner Wee Biskit and Maharishi. The 5kg they receive from Sea King will prove valuable.

Auckland received rain yesterday and with more forecast the Ellerslie track should be much looser than the surface encountered on Saturday.

Early on the day, Annettes Joy (No 6, R2) is a chance in a testing field. Like a few others, she did not manage the heavy conditions at Avondale a couple of weeks ago and a better guide is her excellent second at Rotorua previously.

There are a number of impressive debut horses who have been stylish at the trials, including Orange Crush (No 7) and The Dom (No 3).

The amateur riders (R4) are not everyone's idea of punting magnificence but Kevin Myers is worth following. He has four acceptors in and it's a difficult choice - as Myers loves - but Tallyho Twinkletoes (No 4) should be right in the call. Not one for the rent.

Permesso (No 1, R5) finished only fourth at Trentham last week, but it was a much better run that it looks on paper. He has top weight, but should be right in it, particularly if rain loosens the track. Weka (No 2) is the improver.

Nothing (No 1, R7) won here last week. He goes up 2kg, but he is tough and is another who will appreciate a wet, loose track, if that eventuates.

Playboy Prince (No 1, R8) is an issue horse - he can be a problem, but he's got ability. If he does everything right he can win again. Metro Miss (No 4) is the improver.